Strangers
by Debs
Summary: What if Harry Potter fell deeply in love with the new boy at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry and that boy saved Harry from the ever growing darkness and what would happen if the new boy just happened to be Harry's dead godfather?
1. Chapter 1

Summery - What if Harry Potter fell deeply in love with the new boy at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry and that boy saved Harry from the ever growing darkness and what would happen if the new boy just happened to be Harry's dead godfather?

Disclaimer - I do not own any of these characters but wish I did.

Chapter 1

To most people the summer is the happiest time of the year; the kids get time off school, people get to go on holiday. However it is not that way for everyone there are a few people who hate the summer because it means that there is no school, one of the kids that felt like this was Harry Potter. Harry had spent the first 11 years of this life thinking he was nothing only to find out that he was a wizard... a very important one at that, everyone in the wizarding world believed that he was the boy that was going to end the war everyone except Harry that was. Harry had quickly learnt how dangerous it was to be the boy who lived in his first year one of his professors tried to kill him, in his second year he was almost killed by a basilisk, his third year he was attacked by dementors, in his fourth year he had won the Triwizard but ended up facing Voldemort in a graveyard with Cedric and had to watch Cedric die and the fifth year was by far the worst year that he had faced so far. At the end of the fifth year he had been tricked into going to the ministry and had to watch his godfather die before his eyes, it seemed to him that everyone that got closed to him seemed to die and he didn't want the same thing to happen to his friends.

Harry lay on his bed with his eyes shut he couldn't help the strong feeling of guilt that kept washing over him every time he pictured his godfather Sirius Black's death. He had tried so hard not to think about what happened but it happened every time he shut his eyes, it was entirely his fault that he died and now he missed him more than anything in his life. He had spent his whole life thinking that he didn't have anyone except his aunt, uncle and cousin who all hated him and then in his third year he finally found out he had a godfather. He had only just got to know him because of circumstances beyond his control and now he was gone. He wished there was some way of bringing Sirius back to life and had spend the first few weeks of the summer trying to find a way and if he had found a way he would have done it no matter what the consequences were. Harry wiped at his eyes as a tear ran down Harry's face the fact Sirius was gone and he was back with them downstairs made life unbearable. He dreaded going back to school he knew that people would find out what had happened if they didn't already know and if they did know they would either look at him in pity or they would avoid him because he was a murderer.

The next few weeks passed by so slowly for Harry, he spent all the spare time that his family would let him have locked in his room, his eyes and head hurt from crying but at the same time he felt that he deserved the pain that he was feeling. He felt that there were no more tears left in his body to cry, however the pain would not go away and the nightmares continued to haunt him every night and each dream got darker and more graphic making Harry wake up soaked in sweat and his body shaking. The voice in his head, which he knew was Voldermort's, was getting louder and no longer only happened in his dreams, he now heard him during the day and the voice always told him the same thing...that it was his fault, he had killed Sirius and he truly did have darkness eating at his soul. Each time he heard the voice it made the pain in his scar worse to the point that Harry no longer believed he could take anymore and just wanted to make it go away... By any means necessary. He had tried once but Dudley had caught and stopped him. He wished for someone or something to take the pain away.

The days of the holidays seemed to blend together Harry no longer knew what day or date it was and soon began to believe the summer would never end if the summer didn't end then he would be stuck her... Stuck in hell; he needed to survive and needed to get back to school. Harry eventually started to pack his school stuff into his case making sure that he had everything; nothing about packing seemed to stick in Harry's mind but then again why would it? It was the same shit every holiday the same routine that he could go through blindfolded now. The next day at the station Harry was quiet and withdrawn as he met up with his two best friends, he knew that they loved him and wondered if they would be worried or maybe they were too busy with their own problems.

Ron and Hermione looked around to find an empty compartment and waited until the they were inside and the door was safely shut before they finally looked closer at Harry's sunken face, his emerald eyes no longer had their usual sparkle, no look of happiness as he looked back at them instead they seemed dead and cold.

"Harry look about what happened... It wasn't your fault you couldn't have know, we know how you felt about Sirius and if you need to talk"

Hermione put her hand on Harry's arm and gave him what she thought was a friendly smile, hoping to try and bring back her friend, she wanted nothing more than to see the carefree harry that she remembered from the years before. She knew that Harry had taken everything that had happened before very hard and wished that she could do something to help him. It took all of Harry's strength not to run out the compartment crying, why did she bring him up? Why did she have to remind him what he had done? Didn't she understand him at all? If she did she would have known that he didn't want to think about what happened, if he thought about it he would cry and that was the last thing he wanted on a train full of his schoolmates. The welcoming feast and sorting ceremony seemed to go by in a blur; Harry knew what was going on around him to a certain extent he knew that people were talking to him and he was answering but his mind was elsewhere and he didn't know what he was saying to the others. The Gryffindor common room that had once seemed so much like home now felt like a prison to him; he sat staring out the window of the dorms and it was then that something caught Harry's eye it looked like a dark black figure except for the fact that it was walking on all fours like an animal. Suddenly it walked out of the shadows and Harry felt like his heart was going to stop as he realised it looked like a large black dog. The dog seemed to be so familiar to Harry but he didn't dare to believe his own eyes at the minute, it couldn't be him could it? Harry knew that he was dead and that the dog couldn't possibly be him... It couldn't be Padfoot could it?

Please read and review and if you have ideas please feel free to get in touch to tell me. I welcome all ideas. Thanks xxx


	2. Chapter 2

If people want to flame this story then could they please give reasons so that I can improve it. Also if you have any ideas or suggestions then get I touch; I am always willing to listen and to change my stories. I also would like to apologise for the delay in posting up, I have just got a new laptop and had issues with office

Chapter 2

Harry suddenly stood up not knowing if he really saw what he thought he did or if he was just going insane; it wouldn't have surprised him if he was going insane he had been thinking he had all summer. Part of him wanted to believe that even though Sirius was dead that he would not leave him just like that, Sirius had cared about him and had wanted them to live together. His heart was pounding in his chest as he ran through the common room and down the stairs he took the stairs two maybe three at a time, but it seemed to Harry that he was getting no further down. He scolded himself for thinking like that and continued running. The castle always seemed far too quiet at this time of night and every little noise made Harry jump since he wasn't supposed to be out of his room; he hated being so defenceless and so scared. '_Pull yourself together Harry you're the one that is destined to kill Voldermort, you are the one that won the Tri Wizards Tournament its only a castle with house elves nothing to be scare of you have walked these halls a million times when you weren't suppose to.'_ Harry screamed silently to himself as he pulled open the huge old wooden doors. He had to see for himself if it had been Padfoot that he had seen, if so and he knew that there was no possible way it could be he needed to explain and make his godfather realise that he was sorry for everything. The guilt was starting to slowly tear Harry apart first he had been responsible for his parents death, then he had been the reason Cedric was killed and now he had killed his godfather, the last person to care about him.

Reaching the edge of the dark forbidden forest Harry began looking carefully for paw prints, footsteps or anything to prove that Padfoot had been there; but of course as he had suspected there was nothing or at least nothing that he could see. As usual Harry cursed his mind for playing tricks on him he hated being himself at times, hated being the one that everyone relied on, the people expect to be calm in a crisis; well what if he had his own crisis like why he had to be the damn boy that lived? Why does everything always happen to him? Can't he just be a normal boy for once in his damn life? He wished that he could just do the normal things boys do simple things like play sports, hang out with friends, talk about girls; but no he has to be different he has to be special. The sudden creak of a door pulled Harry back to reality it was then that he saw Hagrid and began to realise that he was now in trouble, he smiled what he hoped was sweetly at Hagrid, he hoped that the older man would still see him as that eleven year old boy that he saved and that is would get him out of trouble.

"Now what are you doing out here young Harry?"

"Erm…. Hi Hagrid I was just on my way back up to bed"

Hagrid knew that Harry was lying to him and he also knew that it had to be something serious to have Harry wandering round the castle at this time, so he decided to push the issue hoping to get him to open up a little bit. After a bit of prodding Harry eventually wiped at his eyes the urge to cry washing over him again, he didn't want to tell Hagrid what he had seen because he thought that Hagrid would have him sent to St Mungos.

"This is going to sound silly Hagrid and I know that it is not possible however I am sure that I saw Sirius here in the grounds he stopped and looked right up at me it had to be him but I thought he was dead, in fact I seen him die so how can this be possible."

"He is gone Harry no-one likes to admit it, Sirius was a good man it is a shame he is gone but its time you let go you have to accept it Harry. Sirius can't possibly come came back, I'm sorry Harry I really am but it's the truth now let's get you back to the safety of the castle"

The long walk back to the castle was filled with a deadly silence neither of the two males knew what to say to the other, Hagrid knew he had upset Harry and Harry knew that Hagrid was only trying to help but refused to believe that his godfather was dead. How could he possibly accept it, hadn't he seen him? In the Gryffindor common room the usual groups were sat around talking Fred and George in the corner plotting something like they usually were and Seamus was desperately trying to find out what they were plotting though it was obvious that Ron had sent him. The whole room went deadly silent when Harry re-entered and took his place by the window again, he knew what they were thinking but he couldn't bring himself to care. Ron and Hermione were worried about him and even though they would never admit it to Harry, part of them was seriously beginning to believe that Harry was going insane. Life for Harry seemed to have stopped all together he spent as much of his free time in the library, he knew that he would never find the answers that he needed to keep himself sane but he had to try. During the summer he had decided that he was never letting anyone close to him again; he figured it would be easier on him and the people around him compared to people getting close and then dying trying to protect him. Harry was sick of all the death that seemed to happen around him, but say that at the minute he was sick of life as well. To make things worse for Harry all he had to look forward to was another potions lesson with Snape and Slytherin that meant that he would have to see Draco and have to cope with his sick comments. As if reading Harry's mind professor Snape had placed Harry next to Draco claiming he could do with learning a thing or two from Draco. Why did the whole world seem to be against him at the minute?

He sat in his seat his eyes scanning the room; he was bored and no matter how much he tried he couldn't seem to find it inside himself to care about his lessons or the school, everywhere he looked all he seem was the look of sympathy that his friends seemed to wear a lot at the minute. Harry jumped and jolted back to the class as he heard the door open, it was then that he saw the familiar face of Dumbledore who was accompanied by a boy. Though he had never seen the boy before in his life but there was something familiar about his eyes, something that he couldn't explain…. Something about him that seemed to draw Harry's attention to him and made it hard to look away, it seemed to Harry that this was the first thing he had even paid attention too since the end of last year.

"Students this is Alexander Venustas he has just transferred here, he has been sorted into Gryffindor but I hope that this will not effect how you treat him. Please make him feel welcome."

Snape sneered, "Venustas sit down next to Potter," he pointed towards Harry there was the same venom in his voice that was present when he spoke to Potter.

"Hi I'm Alexander but please feel free to call me Alex… I hate Alexander, you must be the famous Harry Potter I have heard a lot about you, but then again who in this world hasn't" his eyes seemed to brighten slightly or maybe it was a tick of the light

"Seems like everyone has heard of me though I don't know why it's not like I actually did anything, I bet that all the things have been good things? Nothing seems ever to be said about all the mistakes I made, the lives I have risked and even lost or how everyone that gets closed to me gets killed in some horrible way"

"I heard about Cedric and your godfather wasn't it? Sirius Black"

He shrugs his shoulders trying to block out the pain

"Hey Harry I know we just met but if there is anything you want or anything I can do to help just ask, I know that sometimes it is easier to talk to a stranger than it is to talk to someone who loves you."

"Whatever" Harry finally looked up at the boy properly and realised that the boy had a similar kind of look to his godfather but he also though that it could all be nothing but a coincidence, either way it kind of knocked the wind of Harry a little.

Harry had already decided that he didn't like the boy and wanted nothing to do with him, Alexander reminded him too much of Sirius and all those memories that he wanted to keep hidden, from himself and the rest of the world. Harry sighed as he walked back to the common room after potions; all the way there Alexander tried to make conversation though Harry only seemed to reply in a mechanically sort of way. Although he did talk to the boy he really pay any attention to what he was saying, all Harry could think about was that he didn't want to know anything about Alex. Harry took his normal seat by the window pulling out a library book trying to ignore Alexander as the young boy walked over.

"Hey Harry you ok?"

"I'm fine Venustas I just want to be left alone."

"If that's what you want Harry but I'm sure Cedric and Sirius wouldn't want you to dwell on things do you? I'm sure that they don't blame you so why should you blame yourself?"

That thought suddenly stung Harry, he knew that Sirius would tell him to live his life since one of them had to but he wasn't ready too yet. The pain for Harry was still too real and he couldn't imagine a time where he wouldn't have this black hole in his heart. Alex started walking away but gave Harry one last thing to think about.

"The hardest thing to do in this world is live in it"


	3. Chapter 3

I just wanted to say thanks to those who have reviewed or who has been waiting for the updates thank you for bearing with me and I hope to get a few more chapters up soon.

Chapter 3

With the mention of Sirius' name Harry was suddenly filled with a new rage, a rage that he had never felt before also a new flame seemed to burn brightly in his eyes; what right did he have to say these things too Harry? He knew nothing about Sirius or what he would want Harry to do. Harry suddenly hated this boy and he wanted nothing more than too hurt him. He knew Sirius wouldn't want him to hurt Alex or want him getting kicked out of school also Harry knew that he couldn't cope going back to his aunt and uncles this soon.

He watched as the boy walked off taking deep breaths too calm himself down or as calm as he could be at the minute he got the feeling that Alex knew more that he was letting on about Harry and his life. He suddenly felt like he needed to know what Alexander knew, had he just heard the rumours or was it more? And did he really look like Si or was it just Harry wanting to see his godfather so bad that made him see it? Either way he looked at it he was going to have to swallow his pride and maybe get to know the boy a bit more if he wanted to find out information, besides did he not deserve the chance?

Harry grabbed his bag throwing it over his shoulder he followed Alex out the common room he didn't quite know what he was going to say to Alex but he had to try, he sighed to himself and puts his hand on Alex's arm not sure how he would react, he hoped that the other boy would listen to him and let him explain.

"Alex I'm sorry for how I have been. Can we start again?"

"Emm sure Harry we could go to the lake or the astronomy tower and talk"

Harry gave him a small smile still trying to hide the pain in his eyes maybe he could talk to this boy and he might be able to help and stop the loneliness. The walk to the astronomy tower was long and quiet neither one of them quite sure what to say to the other after their bad start. Harry dropped down on the floor looking over the edge of the tower he couldn't help the thoughts that seemed to pop into his head, knowing that he needed to concentrate on something else and get these thoughts outs of his head he gave a small sigh to himself and he looked up at Alex.

"Look Alex I'm sorry for before... you just took me by surprise that is all, you look like Sirius Black I wasn't expecting it I also wasn't expecting it to hurt me as much as it did."

Alex looked at Harry her could feel his heart breaking he wished that he could tell him the truth, he had this huge secret that if Harry knew it might make him feel at least a little better however he also knew that he needed time and needed to gain Harry's trust first. The first task that he had on his was that he had to get Harry too talk to him; tell him what was really going on inside him and what he was thinking. He puts his hand on his shoulder not wanting to push his luck and looked down slightly when he felt the boy tense up beneath him but Harry didn't pull away from him so he thought carefully about what he had to say before he opened his mouth.

"Harry its ok, you can talk to me, I may not know what you are going through or how you are feeling but I am a good listener. Everyone needs someone to talk to, to trust and someone to unload on. You can tell me anything you want, I will sit here and listen to you and I promise I won't ever judge or criticise you. It can't be easy being you at the minute; everyone knows what is expected of you."

Harry felt the tears well up in his eyes but he tried to pushed them away, he did want to trust Alex but he if he let this boy in and told him what he was really thinking would he still stay or would he run for the hills or even worse would he die.

"You remind me of him you know; you look so much like him and even seem to be like him, not that I knew him for very long. He died because of me because I couldn't control my thoughts or keep people out of my head. I might as well of been the one that killed him and to make it worse there are so many other students that could die because I didn't think or because there were willing to follow me blindly into war. I watched him die, just like Cedric and just like my parents"

Harry put his head down and rubs at his eyes wiping away the tears that he no longer could keep hidden, he had tried so long to be strong but right now he felt like a weak child wanting so badly to curl up and give up, he also wanted so badly to be in either his parents or Sirius' arms'

"Everyone seems to be avoiding me whether it is because they don't know what to say or because they believe that it is my fault, my friends, Dumbledore and even Remus no-one seems to be there for me."

Alex squeezes his shoulder letting Harry cry and talk he knew that Harry getting all of this out of his system would be better for him rather than him keeping it all bottled up inside.


End file.
